THE HEATHENS AND THE DRAGON

A middle-grade medieval adventure starring two orphans, a troubadour with dancing feet, and an irascible pet chicken by an award-winning YA writer.

In 13th century southern France, speaking your mind has become dangerous, but twelve-year-old Elodie knows to keep her mouth shut. Left caring for her five-year-old brother Bertran after her mother's death, Elodie is committed to keeping him safe, which means hiding their Pagan beliefs. But when the new Pope sends soldiers to rid her town of heretics, her employer - not a Pagan, but also not a Catholic - flees. Unsure of what to do, Elodie grabs Bertran and follows, quickly becoming lost in the forest. Armed with little other than some scraps of food and, much to Elodie's chagrin, Bertran's pet chicken, the children meet Joie, a quirky female troubadour who has mysteriously left court life, and she offers to help. Unfortunately, Joie's idea of helping is to deliver the orphans to a Catholic monastery - a fate Elodie's own mother barely escaped. But Elodie sees an opportunity to waylay that plan: Joie's ballads aren't drawing crowds, and Elodie convinces her they can create a new spectacle people will pay for. Soon the crew is performing a captivating tale, complete with a chicken-assisted magic trick, to great success. The approval almost makes Elodie forget that she is dishonoring a sacred Pagan story, and her deceased mother, by retelling it in a way that fits the Pope's new rules. But when they finally catch up to Elodie's employer, Joie's own secrets emerge, and Elodie finds herself with a new moral dilemma. With Papal soldiers hovering, a voracious audience clamoring, and allegiances shifting daily, there are no easy answers. And in order for Elodie to save herself and Bertran from the monastery, she'll need to decide who to trust, and who to betray. Kate A Boorman is an award-winning author from the Canadian prairies. She was born in Nepal and grew up in the small town of Rimbey. She writes speculative fiction and has a mild obsession with abandoned places, memory, and the darkest parts of the forest. Kate holds a MA in Dramatic Critical theory and a resume full of a bizarre assortment of jobs, from florist to accordion accompanist to "person-who-held-the-drywall-sheet-in-place". She has participated as a guest and presenter at a variety of Festivals and Conferences in Western Canada. Kate usually lives in Edmonton, Alberta, with her family. She has recently returned from living in a faraway land, where there are many baguettes.